Dividing the Darkness
by JulianV
Summary: Harry, Draco, Ron, Hermione, Horcruxes....This is the beginning of a love so strong that even Evil cannot stand in the way. Takes place during seventh year. Comments and constructive criticism welcome. HarryDraco slash.
1. Beginning of the End

**Disclaimer:** The characters represented in this fiction belong completely to Mrs. J.K. Rowling. I do not take credit for coming up with any of the brilliant characters so masterfully brought forth by Ms. Rowling. All words, places, and characters found in the actual Harry Potter books do not, in any way, belong to me.

The crowd that had gathered to bid farewell at Dumbledore's funeral was slowly becoming less dense as people paid their last respects. Red-nosed mothers and serious-looking fathers strode down the path to the front gates, their sons and daughters close behind.

Had he been asked six years ago when he'd first come to Hogwarts, Harry Potter would have had no idea what was to come of the place he had come to know so well. It was as if when Dumbledore died, part of Hogwarts died as well.

There was little hope that the school would reopen until the Wizarding world was safe once again but still, that decision was to be left to the Board of Governors. Not that it mattered anyway, as Harry had already decided he would not be returning to Hogwarts. Ron and Hermione, being the loyal friends that they were, had decided to go along with him on his journey.

He had originally planned to go it alone, finding that any friends of his would just be targets Voldemort could use to get at him, but Ron and Hermione had been with him from the start. There was no shaking them loose now.

"We'd better get down to Hogsmeade station,"2 said Hermione softly. "The train will be departing soon." Harry took one last glance at the castle, looking back on all the time he had spent there, and followed Hermione, Ron, and the Weasley's down to the station. Professor McGonagall was there waiting and asked if she could have a moment with Harry, who stepped aside to hear what she had to say.

"Harry, I know we have all suffered a great loss today, more you than any of us. But you must still remember, you are not alone in this. We will do all we can to make your path easier and will respond whenever you need us. I speak on behalf of both Hogwarts and the Order that if you need anything at all, we will be behind you no matter what. It is a shame that at such a young age, you have already had to endure the cruelest of experiences, and what you must accomplish is a very big task. But we believe in you, for you will have the most to gain with Voldemort's downfall. Sure the Wizarding world will be safe at last, but do not fall victim to the expectations others have for you. Just do what you think necessary. Now if there is any time you feel you must contact me or another member of the Order, just use your Patronous to send us a message. I wish you the best of luck on your journey. Until we meet again, farewell." said Professor McGonagall, and she gave Harry a comforting pat on the back.

At a loss of what to say, Harry just nodded, then turned to say goodbye to Hagrid.

"I'm going to miss you Hagrid." said Harry, giving Hagrid a tight hug. Hagrid returned it by squeezing Harry even harder and breaking into tears. He only stopped when he noticed Harry had begun to turn a dark shade of red due to loss of breath.

"Oh, sorry Harry,2 said Hagrid. "I guess I jus' got a bit carried away, seein' as I won't be seein' you again for a while."2

"Don't worry Hagrid. That time will come soon enough,"2 said Harry, then he proceeded to board the train with Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Neville, and Luna. They found a compartment near the back of the train and opened the window to wave goodbye.

"Ron dear...your father, Bill, Fleur, and I will be apparating home. We'll see you when you arrive at the station." said Mrs. Weasley with a light smile.

"Oh, mum, I forgot to mention. Hermione and I will accompany Harry to the Dursley's before coming home to attend Bill and Fleur's wedding. So you'll just be picking Ginny up at the station."

"Ronald,"2 she said with hesitation, but changed her mind after a glare from Mr. Weasley. "If you must then. But be on the lookout for anything strange and never let your guard down."2

"Yes mum." said Ron, leaning out the window for a kiss on the cheek. The Hogwarts express sped out of the station, leaving Hogwarts castle and any sense of security far behind.

"All this happening with Dumbledore has caused a lot of change," mentioned Ron after returning from a journey through the train with Hermione. "There's only about nine other's aboard. Looks like most of their mum's and dad's didn't feel the train would be safe enough."

"I mean we're not completely alone. There's bound to be Auror's aboard and there's no way they'd let us go without extra precautions after what just happened." added Hermione. Ginny, Neville, and Luna nodded but Harry seemed to be lost in his own little world. Ron nudged him on the shoulder, but to no avail. In fact, Harry was on the verge of tears and didn't want any of them to know.

"I'll head to the bathroom for a second, be back soon." he said, looking away from the others as he left the compartment.

But he had lied; he was not going to the bathroom. He found another empty compartment on the other side of the train and threw himself down on the seat, sobbing into his arms. He had already gone over this before, but couldn't get it out of his head. First his mother and father, then Sirius, now Dumbledore. Who next? Mr. And Mrs. Weasley? Hagrid?

So far he had lost almost every parental figure he had ever known. He was starting to feel losing anymore would send him over the edge. But he had one thing to keep him from wanting to die. This was the thought that, in the end, he would put a stop to the one who did this to him.

This very thought was what kept the fire burning in Harry's heart, and when he finally accomplished this task, he would hopefully be able to finally settle down into a nice and peaceful existence.

Harry was not only fighting for himself, but for all the people Voldemort had ever hurt. Professor McGonagall was right, he had hurt more than every last one of them, but he also knew more than anyone how the others were feeling.

However, it didn't help that every one of those other people expected him to be the one to finish Voldemort off. But somehow he knew they were right. It was either he did or no one did. He was the only one left who could stand up to Voldemort and live to tell the tale. Had he not done it five times already?

He felt a small bit of hope knowing that at least two of the Horcruxes, possibly three, had already been destroyed. It was now up to him to find and destroy the rest, then take care of Voldemort. He knew what he had to do, and it was time to get on with the plan.

"How are you feeling?" came a soft voice from behind Harry. He turned around to see Ginny standing in the doorway. He had been so caught up with his emotional ranting that he hadn't even heard the compartment door open. "You've been gone for nearly half an hour, we were starting to worry."2

Harry felt the urge to ask her how she thought he was feeling, but decided against it. This was no time to be getting in arguments. In fact, Harry was quite glad Ginny had come. She and Harry had just ended their relationship earlier that day, but they were still closer than ever.

"You know Ginny, I'd just like a bit of time alone to think things over," said Harry in the most polite way possible. "If you could just tell the others I'd highly appreciate it. By the way, thanks for the concern but I think I just need to get a little rest, clear my mind." Ginny smiled at him with an understanding look in her eyes. He could tell she wanted to stay and be with him, but he needed some time alone.

"You're welcome, Harry. See you then?" she said, and closed the compartment door. He found it a bit hard to get to sleep with everything going on in his mind, but finally managed to fall into a light doze.

Three long hours later, the Hogwarts Express was pulling into Platform Nine and Three-Quarters.


	2. Peaceful Farewell

**Disclaimer:** The characters represented in this fiction belong completely to Mrs. J.K. Rowling. I do not take credit for coming up with any of the brilliant characters so masterfully brought forth by Ms. Rowling. All words, places, and characters found in the actual Harry Potter books do not, in any way, belong to me.

Upon arriving at Platform Nine and Three Quarters, Hermione and Ron had sent their bags with the Weasley's and Harry had sent Hedwig to stay at the burrow. They also said their goodbyes to Neville and Luna, saw Ginny off, took the Knight Bus to Privet drive (which was awfully strange without Stan Shunpike aboard), and were now standing on the doorstep of number four, Privet Drive, the house that Harry had come to associate with such feelings as boredom, hatred, and loneliness, among others. .

Their business was clear from the moment Harry had told them. He was to visit number four one last time before his 17th birthday at Dumbledore's orders, which would provide him with protection from Voldemort until he came of age.

During that time which, he explained to Hermione and Ron, "I will pack my things, say my goodbyes, and we'll be off." The three of them had decided to dress in Muggle attire as to not get on the Dursley's bad side.

"Remember, there's no need to say anything except hello and goodbye," added Harry giving a piercing stare to his two best friends. "The two of you can wait in the living room while I go up and pack my things."

"We can go with you, Harry. Ron and I are of age. We can use magic to help you pack." suggested Hermione.

"Yeah, we're of age. Why not?" added Ron. Harry thought it over for a moment and decided that it'd be best to spend as little time as possible at the Dursley's.

"Alright, you can come." he said. With that, he knocked on the door of number four. Before long, the plump outline of Uncle Vernon could be seen through the panes of glass on the front door.

As he opened the door, a look of annoyance filled his eyes. He obviously hadn't expected Harry home so early. The school year wasn't supposed to have been over for another week.

"This is Ron, you've met his family before (Uncle Vernon rolled his eyes), and this is Hermione Granger, her mother and father are dentists," said Harry, Uncle Vernon showing complete surprise upon finding out the occupation of Hermione's parents. He obviously didn't think it possible that a witch could have a seemingly normal mother and father. "I'm here to get my things and say goodbye. I've got a big task ahead of me."

Uncle Vernon was speechless as Harry hurried Ron and Hermione into the house. Aunt Petunia was standing in the hall with her hair in curlers, trying her best to fake a smile at them, but all she could manage was a semi-nervous look.

Without saying anything, Harry dragged his trunk up the first few steps (Hermione used _Wingardium Leviosa_ the rest of the way) and led Ron and Hermione up to his bedroom. Closing the door, he immediately threw his trunk open and began throwing anything of the utmost importance into it.

"Oh come on Harry," said Hermione in a motherly tone as she pointed her wand at the trunk. "_Pack_!" she cried. The contents already in the trunk put themselves in order as the rest of Harry's belongings flew in. Within two minutes the packing was finished. With a pop Hermione disapparated with the trunk, leaving Harry and Ron alone.

"She must have taken it to the Burrow," said Ron with a smile. "Always a step ahead, she is." Sure enough, Hermione was back a few minutes later telling Harry that his trunk was safe in Ron's room.

Harry lay down on the bed, remembering all the time he had spent in this room, lying down, waiting for exciting things to happen every summer. It had been in this room that he had met Dobby four years earlier, and in this room that Fred, George and Ron, had rescued him in a flying Ford Anglia. This was also where members of the Order of the Phoenix had rescued him after being expelled from Hogwarts before his fifth year.

No matter the experiences he'd had with the Dursley's, he would always remember this room. It had been his first actual room, unless you could call the cupboard under the stairs, which he had stayed in for the first twelve years of his life, a room. It had once had been Dudley's second bedroom in which he kept his broken and unused belongings, but when Harry began to receive acceptance letters from Hogwarts, the Dursley's had decided to move him up there.

Despite the happy memories he'd had in this room, part of him knew that this was the last time he would ever set foot in it. In fact, this would also be the last time he would ever set foot inside number four.

"Well, we'd better get downstairs so I can explain what's going on to my aunt and uncle." said Harry as he stood up from the bed. Hermione and Ron moved towards the door without a word and led the way downstairs into the Dursley's living room.

Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon were sitting on the couch whispering to each other when Harry entered. They stopped immediately as Harry, Hermione, and Ron sat down on the other couch. It seemed Uncle Vernon had something to say, and he didn't hesitate.

"What is the meaning of this?" he asked Harry, holding Aunt Petunia's hand in fear. He was never quite as courageous when he was dealing with wizards.

"The meaning of what?" Harry asked, throwing a glance towards Ron and Hermione. Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia looked taken aback, they seemed to think he knew exactly what they were talking about. There was an awkward silence as Harry waited for a response.

"You know boy! What is the meaning of bringing these people into our home, and aren't you supposed to be at school?" asked Uncle Vernon. He seemed to have finally gotten out what he'd been trying to say. Harry let out a small chuckle, but there was nothing funny about what he was about to tell them.

"Well, just to let you know, 'these people' are my friends. I thought we had already clarified that? If using the words 'these people' is implying to wizards, what did you expect? That I'd bring home Dudley and his gang?" Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon looked offended. How could their little precious Dudley be in a gang? No, they concluded that Harry was just making things up as usual and decided it'd be best to let him continue.

"So, about me being home from school so early. Do you remember meeting Professor Dumbledore last summer?" asked Harry, holding back tears. Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon nodded. How could they forget? "Well, he died yesterday. He was murdered by a teacher at our school." At this, Aunt Petunia let out a gasp. Uncle Vernon, however heartless he had seemed in the past, had a mixed look of fear and sadness.

They knew that Dumbledore dying could not be a good thing, as they had known Dumbledore was one of the few people Voldemort was ever afraid of. Aunt Petunia knew more than Uncle Vernon seeing as she'd corresponded with Dumbledore before, but the topic was rarely ever discussed in the Dursley household. After thinking over Harry's words, Uncle Vernon seemed to have found his voice. He could not, however, hide his panic.

"You mean he's dead? Killed by a teacher you say? What kind of school would...? What does that...?" Harry cut him off.

"This means that I am now alone. I've got to take care of Voldemort myself." said Harry. Ron winced at the mention of Voldmort's name, but turned to respond.

"No mate, you're not alone. Hermione and I have already told you we'd be by your side no matter what."

"What this does mean, however, is that both the Wizarding world and the Muggle world are at risk. Voldemort will not hesitate to kill as many people as it takes to gain control." said Hermione. She had spoken directly to the Dursley's, who were very surprised by it. They had never properly met her and didn't think it good manners for someone to speak to them without invitation. No matter, they understood what she was saying and kept silent.

"A war has begun once more and it will not end until either I die, or Voldemort dies," said Harry. "I am sorry to say that this may very well be the last you see of me, as I will set out in search of Voldemort very soon. He has become as close to immortal as anyone can be, and it will take a lot to defeat him. I hate to say this, but I may not make it through alive."

It took a second for Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia to fully comprehend what Harry had said, but they soon realized just how important Harry was. Aunt Petunia stood up and did something she had never done before. She gave Harry a hug and kissed him on the forehead, tears running down her face.

"I'm sorry we have been so horrible to you Harry. I was always jealous of my sister, but I never wanted her to die. I'd never have thought it'd be you who had to defeat He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, but I give you my blessing." Uncle Vernon gave her an inquiring look, as if he had never known this side of his wife, but he too stood up and hesitantly gave Harry a pat on the back.

"I guess this is goodbye," said Harry, as he motioned for Hermione and Ron to stand up. "But I am glad it's a peaceful farewell. Give Dudley my regards and keep your guard up."

Harry led Hermione and Ron to the front door and stepped outside. He felt a small sense of pity for his Aunt and Uncle. He knew how they must be feeling about the way they had treated him all those years, but he had forgiven them. It was now time to set out and put a final stop to Voldemort's evil.

The Dursley's stood at the door, Aunt Petunia waving goodbye as Harry, Ron, and Hermione made their way to the end of the driveway and apparated.


End file.
